The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-06-12
New Facts About Terra del Fuego.

New Facts About Terra del Fuego.
Some good Jesuit fathers from Chill in the
seventeenth century made q map Of Terra
del Fucgo in Which they pictured the inhab-
itants as extraordinary beings whom nature
had favored with tails. Much Of our later
Information about this mysterious land has
suggested this famous Jesuit map by Its
truly marvellous character. The few trust
worthy explorers who have visited Terra del
Fuego have seen but little Of the great isl
and, and their statements have been 30 con-
Trajectory as to confuse rather than enlight-
en- the reader. Years ago DARWIN was in
clined to think that in the rice he met in
Deagle Canal no had found tie missing link in
tho chain of evolution; but shortly before his
death, he wrote that he had been mistaken
In some OF his conclusions with regard to
Terra del Fuego and It's people, and that the
data he had gathered had been too scanty for
deductions of much scientific value.
The southern extremity Of the Americas,
however, will no longer DO region of mys-
terry. Within the past few months two ex-
plorers have made remarkable journeys In
Terra del Fuego. Mr.. RAMON L1sTA, at tho
expense Of the Argentine Republic, has trav-
ersed the entire island from st. Sebastian
Bay to It's southern extremity. He did not
penetrate far from the coast. but far enough,
however, to enable him to determine the
character OF the great interior plain. and to
describe its products and inhabitants. A
still moro fruitful journey is that Of the civil
engineer, Don JULIO Pepper, who during
our last winter months, the summer period
in Terra del Fuego, crossed and reorossed
the northern third Of tho island and explored
fully one-half Of the east coast regions. The
work 30 energetically begun by the Argen-
tine Government will not flag until the
geography and resources Of the island are
fully revealed.
The southwest part Of the island, with It's
snowy mountains. glaciers, forests, and
rather Gecrepit Indian tribes, ia that with
which we have been best acquainted. Mr..
PoPPER hos revealed to us the far greater
and entirely different northeastern region,
where broad pa.npas take the place Of wood
lands, md where all tho inhabitants belong
to the Ona tribe, race Of robust active In
dams who roam over the whole OF the island
north OF tho Alpine southern coast.
Flowing across these grassy plains Mr..
PoPPER discovered seven rivers that empty
into the Atlantic along about one hundred
miles of the northeast coast. The largest OF
these rivors, to which tho explorer gave the
name OF Juarez Celman, the President Of tho
Argentine Republic, takes its rise In tho por-
petuai SHOWS Of tho south coast mountains
and winds its way across tho central portion
Of the island. reaching the Atlantic between
CCpcs rcnns and Sunday. It's width at low
tide, twelve mics from Its mouth, Was over
600 feet. No one supposed so important a
river existed in the island. Mr.. Pepper was
not provided with the appliances needed to
determine how far the river Is navigable, but
he believes the river Is sure to contribute
largely to the Industrial development OF
these regions.
1t Is an interesting fact that this party OF
explorers, in land reputed to be one Of the
most inhospitable regions in the world lived
for time In comparative comfort on tho
resources of the country. Tho failure Of O
vessel to bring food supplies to st. Sebastian
Bay compelled the pnrty to ascertain at
onco what Terra dol Fucgo would provide
for the s,lstenance OF civilized men. South
of this great bay they found nature quite
lavish OF her gifts, and were sustained In
tllclI bOIclLtliD vi htCiui wv Vi
guanaco steaks with Fuegian celery. kraiken
eggs with seal oil, wild celery soup, a species
Of radish, a plant that when boiled furnishes
q dish not unlike asparagus, ducks, geese
curlews, green plovers swans. and other
game. In fact, the stern demands Of tho
inner man Rpurred them ON to knowledge
they ught not Otherwise havo obtained.
Br. POrrEI'S discovery OF largo carbon
i'croua beds, though OF 20 commercial vGluc
proves the humonsr climatic and physical
chlnGcs that have occurred in the region
thu, is now a vast plateau almost destitute
of timber. The trees Of which these Ignite
beds are composed arc not allied in species
to any trees now found In the Fuegian forests.
The explorer did not succeed in his efforts
to establish friendly relations with the wan
dering Onas, many OF whom he met. some
times In parties of fifty to ono hundred. He
attributes their hostile attitude to the fact
that a numbcr Of them havo been killed by
The whites 70 frighten them out Of their very
bad habit OF stealing horses and sheep from
the big sheep farm that IL now fiourishing
on the north coast Of the island, From his
description It 10 apparent that they more
nearly resemble tho North American Indians
than the AatiyeA0f PAaASoaiA.l ana they ere
mdch superior IN pkyslqns ma sofhsNhak